Edwin Poots tells PSNI boss that efforts are under way 'to expunge legitimate criticism of Colin Harvey'

Mr Poots said there has been a “conflating” of legitimate criticism of Professor Harvey with “threats or intimidation”.

Professor Harvey, a law academic at Queen’s University Belfast and one of the central figures behind the Ireland’s Future organisation (which has been holding public meetings across the island pressing for a border poll) has repeatedly said that he is under attack over his views.

For instance, on Wednesday he tweeted: “Whatever your view of the constitutional future and my work, the orchestrated campaign of harassment, intimidation and threat – since 2019 – really is shameful, transparent and dangerous.

“Many involved should know better. Please wise up.”

Last month he appeared in the Irish News and the BBC where he spoke of “repetitive disinformation”, “lying”, and a “fairly systematic campaign of intimidation, harassment and threats” against him, and said he had spoken to police.

Mr Poots had been specifically linked to criticism of Prof Harvey, with one piece last month headlined “Edwin Poots denies vilifying Colin Harvey after challenging embattled academic over IRA violence”.

THE LETTER:

Mr Poots, in his letter to the chief constable, has said an effort is being made “to expunge all criticism of Professor Harvey”.

“Given that I absorbed a considerable amount of abuse directed at myself and my family, I totally condemn any threats or intimidation,” wrote Mr Poots.

“My main issue of concern is that there would appear to be an impermissible and legally questionable conflating of legitimate challenge with inappropriate threatening messages.

"Mr Harvey, as he is entitled to do, is a robust campaigner to his particular political objective.

"He has willingly entered the public arena, and therefore must expect to be challenged on his views which are often extremely divisive and controversial.

"As one of those who has challenged Professor Harvey on his non-condemnation of the human rights abuses of the IRA, I point out that is a reasonable use of free speech in circumstances whereby Mr Harvey uses his human rights status to add legitimacy to his political cause.

"It is appropriate that any inconsistencies, hypocrisy or credibility issues in this regard are probed as part of reasonable public debate."

He added that the PSNI must make sure not to curb the rights of anyone “to exercise free speech in a reasonable manner”.

‘I OPPOSE PHYSICAL, NARRATIVE, AND LINGUISTIC VIOLENCE’:

Mr Poots’ letter was put to Professor Harvey – with particular emphasis on his claim of his “non-condemnation” of the IRA.

He was also asked if he could expand on what specifically the “threats” and “lies” about him were. No response had been received at time of writing.

The PSNI was asked this week if it has detected any potential offences against Prof Harvey.

It replied: “Police are aware of multiple social media posts towards an individual and enquiries are ongoing.”

Sinn Fein have featured heavily in Ireland’s Future’s campaign, and Prof Harvey has faced persistent calls to clearly and specifically condemn the IRA.

Last month Prof Harvey wrote on Twitter that he was a “life-long human rights defender” adding: “I reject violence, state and non-state, past, present, and future; physical violence, narrative violence, linguistic violence".

The following is an exchange on the subject with Professor Harvey during one of his recent BBC appearances.

Radio Ulster presenter: "Can we nail this question about the IRA? Do you condemn the violence of the IRA during the Troubles?"

CH: "Chris, anybody who knows me and my work knows that I have always been unequivocally committed to peace in this society, past, present, and future."

Presenter: "That's not the same question being answered though."

CH: "Chris, I have no time for any violence whatsoever in this society. Let me make that absolutely clear and full stop

"But I have too much respect for victims and survivors and the injured to engage in what is often a selective party-political partisan debate that wants to use the normous grief that's out there in this society to essentially re-traumatise victims in an exercise in political point-scoring."

Presenter: "There will be people who will say that there are victims of the IRA from all sections of the communities.

"Condemning that violence, a lot of people have pushed for you to do. And making that explicit, would that not be helpful?"

CH: "Let me go a step further than that Chris and tell you a story.

"I'm a former head of the law school at Queen's. In 2008 I organised a 25th anniversary event for Edgar Graham in the Law School which made my views, and my views on that are absolutely crystal clear.

"So I have gone beyond a rhetoric, and gone beyond point-scoring, to make clear my views in relation to Edgar Graham, in relation to peace in this society, past, present, and future. I could not make it more obvious, but I am..."

Presenter (INTERR): "You condemn his killing"

CH: "I am questioning, I am questioning the selective and partisan use of the past to hurt people.

"There are victims and survivors and injured out there listening to your programme now, sitting, being rom... being re-traumatised by what is essentially partisan political point-scoring.

"There are models for how we deal with the legacy of the conflict here in a comprehensive way that are constructive. In fact, many of my colleagues at Queen's are working on precisely that.

"That's where our focus needs to be, in the here and now, in a sense not re-fighting the conflict in 2022."

UN CALLED FOR END TO ‘ATTACKS’ TO PRESERVE FREE SPEECH:

Back in March, the Office of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights had issued a statement to the world about Prof Harvey, headlined: ‘Attacks against human rights advocate threaten academic freedom in Northern Ireland – UN experts’.

It said: “His academic credibility has come under attack and he received hundreds of smears and threats from politicians, journalists and other social media users. His personal security has also been threatened.”

The closest thing to a specific example they gave was this: “The threats seek to discredit his academic standing by making baseless claims he is connected with paramilitary groups or equating his ideas with Nazism.”

The UN “experts” said all of this placed “academic freedom” and “meaningful debate” at risk, adding that “fomenting a narrative that a person is untrustworthy because of their national identity or viewpoint can have dire consequences”.

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